26th Mount Haemus Lecture ~ The Fifth Province: Myth and Metaphor in Twentieth Century Ireland

Thanks to the generosity of the Order’s patroness, Dwina Murphy-Gibb, the Order grants a scholarship each year for original research in Druidism and related subjects. We have called this scholarship the Mount Haemus Award, after the apocryphal Druid grove of Mt Haemus that was said to have been established near Oxford in 1245.

If you haven’t already, do please check out the 26th Mount Haemus Lecture awarded this year to Pat Booker for her fabulous paper: The Fifth Province: Myth and Metaphor in Twentieth Century Ireland

This paper explores the ancient Irish myth of the Fifth Province as described in The Settling of the Manor of Tara, tracing its transformation into a powerful cultural metaphor in twentieth-century Ireland. It argues that the myth’s symbolism — a central unifying force among divisions — was reimagined by thinkers, artists, and politicians to promote dialogue, healing, and postcolonial reflection. Drawing on figures such as Richard Kearney, Seamus Heaney, and Imelda McCarthy, the study shows how the Fifth Province served as a philosophical and creative space during key moments in Irish political and spiritual renewal, including the peace process and the cultural liberalization of the Republic. The paper concludes by considering how this mythic structure offers practical tools for contemporary Druids seeking to balance personal, communal, and ecological harmony.

About the Author:

Pat Booker holds qualifications From Oxford, Queens University Belfast and the University of Ulster. However, she has never used them for anything sensible or lucrative. Currently she is a trainer who lives in the Northern Irish countryside with a dog and a cat and too many books. Ten years ago, she wandered into a Druid retreat out of curiosity, and she liked it so she stayed and has been in the Bardic grade ever since.